Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Cheesy Manicotti
Manicotti filled with ricotta makes a generous pasta dinner. Marinara surrounds the tender shells, with a browned mozzarella topping and a soft, herby cheese filling inside. Give the filling a moment to cool, then enjoy a forkful with plenty of tomato sauce alongside it.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Pipe from both ends if you need to
A zip-top bag makes the ricotta filling easier to guide into the manicotti. If a shell feels stubborn, fill it from one end, then turn it around and finish from the other.
2. Sauce under the pasta matters
Spread sauce across the bottom of the dish before the stuffed shells go in. It keeps the pasta sitting in moisture while it bakes, which helps the shells turn tender under the foil.
3. Cover it tightly
The covered bake is when the manicotti shells soften and the cheese filling heats through. Press the foil snugly around the dish before it goes into the oven.
Get to know the ingredients
Use whole milk ricotta
Whole milk ricotta is the cheese called for here, and it gives the filling its soft, creamy center. Fold it in with the Parmesan rather than beating it hard, so the mixture stays easy to pipe.
Jarred marinara is fine
Spread the first cup of marinara over the bottom of the baking dish and pour the remaining sauce over the filled shells.
Shredded mozzarella goes on last
The mozzarella is not baked under the foil with the filling. Add it after the shells are tender, then broil just until it melts and browns lightly.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 12 steps completeMake room for Cheesy Manicotti
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Give the hot filling a minute
Let the manicotti cool for five minutes before serving; the filling will still be very hot.
A little more help as you go
Watch closely under the broiler
Once the oven is turned up to broil, the cheese can go from melty to browned pretty quickly. Stay nearby and pull the dish when the mozzarella is lightly browned.
Cut a roomy bag opening
The filling goes through a 1 inch opening in the corner of the bag. That larger cut helps the ricotta mixture move through without making you squeeze too hard.
A few questions you might have
Do the manicotti shells need to be tender before they go in the dish?
No. The shells are filled, covered with sauce, and baked tightly covered until tender. The tenderness check happens after the covered bake, before the mozzarella broil.
Why does the mozzarella go on after baking instead of at the start?
The shells need a covered bake first so they can soften in the sauce. Adding the mozzarella after that lets it melt and brown under the broiler without spending the whole bake under foil.
What size baking dish should I use?
Use a 9x13 baking dish. It gives the stuffed shells enough room to sit in a layer with sauce underneath and more sauce over the top.
How do I know the covered bake is done?
The manicotti shells should be tender, and the filling should be bubbling and melted. That’s your cue to uncover the dish and add the mozzarella.
Can I use jarred sauce instead of marinara sauce?
Yes. The recipe specifically allows 30 ounces of jarred sauce in place of the marinara. Use it the same way, with some on the bottom and the rest over the stuffed shells.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinnerthendessert.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
